The fate of the universe many billions and billions of years from now, is an oft debated topic, and one that has no definitive answer. Now, a new theory has emerged, one that turns all others on its head; and turning heads in the scientific community as a result.

Past theories have ranged from that of an infinitely expanding universe, to a universe that will eventually contract in on itself, returning to a singularity not unlike the way it started with the Big Bang (and possibly setting another Big Bang into motion afterwards, creating the possibility of an endless number of universes).

The new theory states that the universe will neither expand infinitely, nor contract; that it will simply enter a state of stasis where time will effectively stop, leaving the universe frozen in time for eternity.

The new theory, proposed by Spanish professors Marc Mars, Raul Vera, and Jose Senovilla, states that our perception of the universe, and in particular the mysterious dark matter that is thought to comprise much of it, is backwards. The theory of an expanding universe based on the fact that planets appear to be moving away from us is incorrect they say. Instead, it indicates that time is slowing; not enough to be perceptible to us, but over the course of billions and billions of years, it will eventually lead to a total state of stasis.

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of their theory is their refutation of dark matter's existence, a widely accepted theory in the scientific community, which helps explain numerous otherwise unquantifiable aspects of the universe's makeup; though dark matter is as large a mystery as those unknown universal properties.

If this new theory holds any matter (dark or otherwise), and you have plans on living for the next few million years, it appears you better get used to shorter and shorter days. The new theory is published in the journal Physical Review D.